Emmabelle

My little Emmabelle the day after she was born

We named my daughter after a Spice Girl. Okay, maybe not after a Spice Girl, but they definitely inspired her name. Whenever I heard the name Emma, I imagined a cute little blonde haired girl in pigtails and a pink dress. I thought it was a sweet little name for the sweet little girl growing in me. When she was born, my husband looked at her and said "Emmabelle". Long before she was born he called me "Cindybelle", most likely because I had a little pet bunny named Tinkerbell. Emmabelle just seemed right. She was so pretty and dainty and everything about her was so feminine, right down to her little cry. Thomas kept calling her Emmabelle and I called her Emmabelle too. Our family was very confused. "Why are you calling her Emmabelle?" It just fit her! A week after she was born my husband and I started to wonder if we should change her name. I felt really guilty about it. I felt like I didn't do a good job thinking it through the first time. Why didn't I think of Emmabelle? We just didn't know she was our little Belle until she was born. We went back and forth on it for the longest time. Is this just a little phase? Are we just silly in love with her and not thinking this through with a clear mind? Will we regret it later? Will she like it? Will she get picked on?! I imagined what they would call her at her high school graduation... Emmabelle... would she cringe when she heard her name? Silly mommy worry.



Emma is 14 months old now and this Friday we're going to the courthouse and changing her name to what it was supposed to be all along. Some people in our family still don't understand it, and that's okay. I no longer feel guilt about adding "belle" on the end of her name. I think one day she'll look back on this story and love it. Her daddy named her with all the love in his heart. I call her my Belle and she comes running to me and gives me a hug and says "Mama" and that's all I need to know that we're doing the right thing. :)